I'd want to change everything except the floors and ceiling. That means the entire layout, the cabinetry, appliances, sink, lighting, counters, window valences.

Shannon what types of changes would you make? Ie removing cabinets, refinishing, etc?

To add, financially we won't likely be able to do a full renovation of the kitchen but would love to hear others' suggestions of where you might start or what big picture changes you'd work towards.

@Tasa L - as I said, everything except the floors and ceiling. New layout--new. That means replace old cabinetry with new cabinetry in a different arrangement than you have now. Replace the appliances, sink, lighting, counters, remove the window valences.

[ETA: the above typed before the OP mentioned she does not have the budget for a full renovation, which she did not say originally.]

On a limited budget, I would start by clearing clutter (unnecessary items) and optimizing storage/organization. Replace stools with comfortable ones with backs (if not arms), Add color by changing fabric under the counter skirt, rug at sink, art and new dinnerware. These little things would go a long way to freshening. Extend the clutter clearing, organizing and color addition to the adjoining room(s).

A big change could be made by changing the countertops. The rustic cabinets fit the cabin, so I would not start by painting them.

In additon to changing the counters, if budget allows, paint cabinets.

I think it's pleasantly old-fashioned and wouldn't do much more than counter top that fit's the theme,laminate end of cabinet behind trash can to match doors, remove/replace scalloped border around window plus the ceiling and beam might need to be lighter. I'm sure a few other things could use help once I walked through but for now it look's to be a welcome change from the fast lane..

New countertops in any shade other than brown or orange

I'd do a white Corian countertop and possibly new barstools, but not much else. It's a cabin!! It's mostly perfect for that.

Grey to white wash the cabinets. Butcher block counters. White subway or tin back splash. Black cup pulls and a nice rug for the floor.

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I think it has cabin charm and is super cute. I would probably change the fake wood look laminate countertop to another laminate countertop in a fun color. I love the lures knobs, at least that's what I think they are. Maybe take a look at the book Modern Americana by Max Humphrey for inspiration.

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It's adorable. The scallops are probably the cutest feature but the hardware is super cute, too. Dale Mulfinger is a MN architect who has written a lot about Cabins. Maybe track down one of his books for inspiration and encouragement to not rip out your cabin kitchen.

I can't figure out what's going on to the left of the range but that area looks a little clunky. ???

I MIGHT paint the ceiling white. I MIGHT remove the two upper cabinets on either side of the sink window if possible and use shelves. I'd probably change the countertop. I'd get a new light fixture to replace the range one - check out Rejuvenation. These two cabin kitchens show the fixture style - either schoolhouse or barn would be darling. If that's a flourescent over the sink, replacing that with something more rustic would be fun. But the kitchen is adorable.

Please, no grey!!!!!

I would 100x rather spend my time fishing. The cabin looks like a cabin is supposed to. Add some colorful area rugs & enjoy the time off.

Yes, the scallop is cute, but it's blocking light and looks cluttered. I'd take it out. Change countertops to either black or white and paint the lowers a soft green or warm white if you want something more neutral. Don't forget to seal well before painting.

If you paint the lowers, you could do a real wood counter, otherwise, I would not add more wood to the space. Also, if you go with wood counters, get a stone remnant to do around the sink.

A new big sink and faucets if you change out the counters.

Change out the flourescent fixture over the sink to a pendant and replace the wall sconces to match/coordinate with the new pendant.

I'm so appreciative of all of your suggestions!! Thank you. If I were to paint the lower cabinets similarly to this photo would you recommend painting the island front blue too or leave that?
We will definitely do a light countertop

Also blue.

Look at how much white your inspiration photo has. I'm afraid that blue grey is going to make your cabinet orange neon orange and the space itself dingy. I can't tell what's going on above your counter but I'd be focusing on adding more white, especially if you want to add a blue grey. White beams,maybe whitewashed ceiling, white tile backsplash, light counter, and white paint on that outward facing wall.

Painting knotty pine is really challenging. It will require several coats of a stain blocking primer and several coats of paint. I painted my knotty pine walls following that advice; the pine resins still bled through, so the walls required additional paint a few years later.

We eventually painted the pine paneled den in our first home. Used Kilz (mid 90s, maybe somethng better now) then two or coats of paint. Never had resin come forward, before or after painting. We were in the house 20yrs.

@Allison0704 it probably depends on a lot of factors. We did two coats of Kilz, in 2005, then two coats of paint. Resin bled through after a number of years. We painted Kiltz again on the spots and then top coated. It's fine now. All I'm saying is that it can take a lot of coats of paints to cover, which is not always practical for kitchen cabinets.

The layout would be better if the fridge and range were m/l switched. The fridge would be easier for grazers to access without entering the work zone, and the range would be more protected on the inside corner. The DW would then be moved to the left of the sink, which might require the sink to be off-center with the window. Make the short peninsula to the left a base cabinet and MW above.

Changing the layout is probably something to think about for the future, so I wouldn't do anything now--the kitchen is charming as it is.

Paint the cabinets a barn red, or a forest green, or any other happy casual color from the natural surroundings that you like. New white laminate counters. That takes away from wood on wood on wood, and lets the remaining wood shine. The whole thing is under $1500 if you DIY.

Its a cabin. Casual and low maintenance are key. No fashion or faux elegance attempt ever needs to ever happen. It needs to be your grandpa’s washed out plaid shirt, and your mom’s $1 flipflops, and your raggedy weekend T shirt and faded cargo shorts. Unfussy, feet up.

The original rustic charm is what I find appealing here, e.g. the pine cabinets vs the flooring. I also love the scallop window trim but agree it blocks light. Perhaps it can be repurposed elsewhere? Agree with Allison: start by decluttering. Bare counters and walls will allow you to see the bones of the kitchen and how it flows with the adjacent space. Perhaps it would make sense to lighten the ceiling beams? Sanding them is a DIY project. I'd want another spot for the trash can and to replace the fluorescent ceiling light with something more appealing. Love a cabinet skirt but would want a more colourful fabric here. There are a lot of stools around the peninsula. Are they all used for eating or is there a comfortable table nearby? I think decor can go a long way to refresh this cabin. As others said, keep it simple and unpretentious. Nothing wrong with retro or vintage when it's functional and authentic. If a new counter isn't in the budget (or you're holding off for a layout change down the road), look into painting this one.

Perhaps the photo you shared from the Gnarly Home Crafters was simply to show the cabinet and island colour but that overall look is not the direction I'd choose for this cabin.

There is a large table in the patio but the island is often also used for eating. That's really helpful to know about some of the difficulty with painting knotty pine. We will definitely move forward with a new countertop and many of the suggestions you've all offered. Thanks again

I would agree with some changes that have been suggested if it was a flat you were trying to rent to a yuppie from the 80s but one thing repeatly suggested is a poor choice regardless who,when or where. Those cabinets will never look right painted and here's why so that you can do your own experiment and decide for your self. Aside from resin bleed every knot has voids plus the knots are a few thousandths proud of surounding wood. Why do knots stand proud? That's what happen's when soft wood like pine is sanded. If you took time to fill and sand all the voids and used flat paint,the imperfections would be less noticeable but how many flat finish cabinets have you seen latly? But hold on ,there's more. Can we agree that anyone passing out advice on painting something should have painted something similar at least a couple of times? If you ever tried painting end grain of soft wood,you will know exactly what I'm talking about when i say it's far more trouble than it's worth. Every where you look,there's end grain showing on those cabinets. The knots,end grain,cracks and pits that give natural finish pine character cause it to look dreadful when painted. This isn't something to decide based on u-tube and internet advice. Please,before flying in to paint those cabinets,make a test run on a couple doors. If they suit you,proceed. If they don't,you can strip the paint off,refinish and save expense, labor and possible disappointment.